


Boiler Trouble

by ChipsintheChapel



Series: Pupcake Patchwork [12]
Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Canon Era, F/F, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27146336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChipsintheChapel/pseuds/ChipsintheChapel
Summary: Nonnatus' boiler has been acting up again, and Patsy finds that Delia has decided to take matters into her own hands.
Relationships: Delia Busby & Patsy Mount, Delia Busby/Patsy Mount
Series: Pupcake Patchwork [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693711
Comments: 23
Kudos: 79





	Boiler Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> The Twelfth Addition to the Pupcake Patchwork! An even dozen! I hope you enjoy! :)

‘Because the poor bugger will have an identity crisis if not.’ 

Delia shot her a little smirk, ‘If Fred’s identity is so tied up in us waiting for him to fix things around here, then he should be more prompt with his repairs. We’ll all freeze to death if we have to wait around much longer. Now, hold the torch so I can see round the back.’ 

Patsy grumbled as she shifted over to shine the light where Delia was looking, and pulled her blanket tighter around her. Somehow, it felt even colder in here than in the rest of the house. This wasn’t what she’d been hoping for when Delia had coaxed her out of bed with a vague promise that it would be worth her while. 

‘Freezing to death seems much more likely in here. I was perfectly warm upstairs before you decided on this insane venture.’ 

Delia hummed distractedly as she inspected the back of the boiler, ‘Yes, you were warm upstairs in your _own_ room in your _own_ bed even though Trixie’s out all night.’ 

Patsy could only offer a small harrumph in rebuttal. Earlier this week, the thought of dragging herself out of Delia’s warm embrace to brave the arctic corridor had proven too horrifying to consider until the last possible moment, and she’d come perilously close to being caught by Barbara. She hadn’t spent the night in Delia’s room since. It felt best to avoid the unnecessary risk. 

‘And this has to be done at one o’clock in the morning because…?’ 

‘Because any other time of day someone would try to stop us.’ Delia came and took the torch from her. 

‘And why can’t we turn on the light?’ 

‘Because Phyllis might see the light under the door and come asking questions.’ 

Patsy gave a small huff, ‘Phyllis is manning the phone. She’s not going to be wandering by the boiler room.’ 

When it appeared that Delia was simply going to ignore that highly logical argument in favour of continuing to poke around the giant hunk of metal, Patsy sighed and glanced around the dark room. It was eerie in here, the only light coming from whatever moonlight trickled through the small window in the corner and their rather sad little torch. She pulled the blanket even tighter around her as a shiver ran through her that wasn’t entirely from the cold. 

‘You say that it’s done this before?’ Delia’s voice was slightly muffled by the floor, which she had knelt upon in an apparent attempt to see underneath the broken monstrosity. 

‘Delia! That floor is filthy!’ 

‘Then let’s try to get this solved quickly, shall we? Then we can get out of this dirty room and back to me giving you a proper cuddle.’

‘Only after you’ve taken a bath.’ 

‘Wouldn’t _that_ be heavenly! I don’t know if I’m more excited about the radiators working or actually having more than a kettle’s worth of hot water,’ She popped back up and thoughtfully tapped a pipe that ran from the boiler out towards the back wall, ‘You didn’t answer my question, Pats.’ 

‘About what?’ 

‘About this happening before.’ 

‘Oh. Yes. With some frequency, actually.’ 

‘And do you know what had gone wrong with it before?’ 

‘Why on _Earth_ would I know that?’ 

‘I don’t know. Curiosity?’ 

Patsy gave a brief snort, ‘There are many things I’m curious about, Deels. The inner workings of Nonnatus’ boiler isn’t one of them.’ 

‘Mmmm,’ Delia appeared to be ignoring her griping in order to focus entirely on the boiler. She circled it appraisingly, humming to herself as she examined various pipes and knobs. 

Patsy simply watched her for a moment, intrigued. Delia had never mentioned knowing how to repair appliances. Seeing her approaching the boiler with such confidence was honestly quite alluring. She enjoyed that even after years of knowing each other, there was still a mystery or two to be unravelled. 

Delia leaned forward and lightly tapped a small gauge on the front of the boiler before stepping back, placing her hands on her hips and giving an authoritative nod.

‘I think we’re going to have to try to crank it up in order to see what’s broken.’ 

‘Is that what you’ve done in the past?’

‘Well…’ Delia looked suddenly uncertain as she began fidgeting with the torch in her hand.

‘Delia. Please tell me you’ve done this before.’ 

‘I used to watch my Tad fiddle with our boiler at home all the time.’ 

‘You _watched_ him _fiddle_ with it? Delia, this is a massive, industrial boiler. What if you break it?’ Patsy couldn’t believe Delia was even considering tinkering with such an expensive, dangerous contraption. 

‘It’s already broken, Pats. That’s very much the point.’ 

Delia’s tone had taken on that edge it got when she was feeling particularly stubborn. Patsy ignored it in the hopes that Delia was still receptive to logic, despite their very presence here being evidence to the contrary. 

‘But what if you break it even _more_ and then it takes Fred even longer to fix it?’ 

‘It’s already taken too long,’ Delia grumbled.

Patsy stepped forward and placed a hopefully reassuring hand on a portion of Delia’s arm that looked free of grime, ‘I hate being cold too, Deels, but I’m not sure mucking about with it ourselves is the wisest course of action. What if we go and try to put some pressure on Fred tomorrow?’ 

Delia let out a little huff and stepped away, ‘Putting pressure on Fred never works!’ She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before looking at Patsy a bit plaintively, ‘I’m not going to do anything too intense, I promise. We shouldn’t have to always wait for Fred and we shouldn’t always have to limit ourselves to what we’ve done before. It should be alright for me to try new things. I don’t want to feel as if I’m in a cage.’

Patsy furrowed her brow. That wording reminded her of something, but she couldn’t quite place it. She sighed, taking in the defiant set of Delia’s shoulders as she stood by the boiler in a now-grubby old dress. The reasoning behind this entire endeavour still seemed profoundly unsound, but this was obviously about more than just the boiler, and Patsy realized that she wasn’t going to be able to dissuade Delia in this moment. 

‘Of course you can try. Just...be safe, alright?’ 

The gleam of Delia’s smile was visible even in the dark. She came up and gave Patsy a little peck on the cheek, being sure to keep her hands and dress far from Patsy’s blanket, ‘Of course I’ll be safe,’ she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small book of matches, ‘ _And_ I’m going to get it fixed. In fact, I’ll wager you on it.’ 

Patsy rolled her eyes, ‘Is now really the time for that?’ 

Ludicrous wagers had been a common refrain in Patsy’s life for the last several weeks, ever since Delia and Trixie had returned from their girls’ night at the cinema. Patsy had been called to an emergency at the London, so the other two had seen _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ without her. Apparently, inspired by Holly’s outfits in the film, they’d placed a light-hearted wager on whether Patsy or Trixie owned more dresses. It was a proposition that had led to them gigglingly rifling through Patsy’s closet, much to her consternation. Delia’s rather unexpected victory had resulted in a shopping spree from Trixie and a simultaneously endearing and slightly exasperating obsession with wagers from Delia. The brunette had yet to lose, a fact which undoubtedly accounted for both Delia’s continued obsession and Patsy’s exasperation.

‘It’s _always_ a good time for a wager. Now, what is it that you want, Pats? You’re not getting out of wagering something,’ Delia turned back towards the boiler, shaking her box of matches as she approached it confidently.

Patsy considered her options. What she _really_ wanted was to not have been dragged out of her warm bed to engage in distinctly unwise shenanigans in a cold, eerie room, but _something_ was going on with Delia and such radical honesty seemed unwise at the moment. She decided to keep an eye to the future, especially as this was a wager she was fairly certain she would actually win. 

‘If I win, then you make the Bournvita for the next three months.’ 

Delia cocked her head to the side and glanced back at Patsy, ‘Pats, I make all the Bournvita as it is. I don’t know that you’ve heated a pan of milk since I moved in.’ 

‘Yes, but this allows me to make it official.’ 

Delia chuckled at that, ‘I accept your terms.’ 

Delia eyed a pipe coming out of the floor before leaning down and turning a lever on it. She knelt on the ground and lit a match, reaching into a small hole in the boiler, giving a nod of satisfaction as the pilot light danced to life. Standing again, she investigated the side of the boiler, mumbling something to herself about a switch. Patsy was so nervous that Delia was about to do something to get them both hurt or in trouble that it took her a moment to realize that they’d nearly forgotten a very important part of the concept of wagering. 

‘Wait a moment. We’ve set my side of the wager, but what do you get if you fix it?’ 

Delia made a small noise of satisfaction as she apparently found what she was looking for, flipping a switch on the side of the boiler, ‘Kisses, of course.’ 

‘Kisses?’ 

‘Yes. Kisses from you. Specifically, five of them,’ she turned to Patsy, pointing a mildly accusative finger at her, ‘And light pecks won’t suffice. If I fix this boiler, then I get five _real_ Patience Mount kisses.’ 

Patsy wasn’t sure that would technically count as her losing the wager, but if Delia wanted to choose something that was, quite frankly, a victory for them both, Patsy certainly wasn’t going to stop her. 

‘That’s really all you want to wager? Five kisses? It’s not as if you need to force me to kiss you.’ 

Delia’s voice took on the slightest edge, ‘Well, you didn’t seem to want to tonight.’ 

A realization dawned that had been far too slow in coming. Was _that_ why they were here?

‘Wait a moment. Do you think I don’t _want_ to spend the night with you?’

Any response Delia may have had was cut off by the boiler suddenly making several ominous clicking noises and then roaring cacophonously to life. They both leapt away from the immense machine as deafening groans, clacks and pops echoed through the small room as cold pipes expanded with the heat. Any concerns Patsy may have had about Delia being angry with her were temporarily overridden by a very real fear that they were about to explode in a fiery inferno. 

‘Delia! Why is it so loud? It isn’t usually this loud. Is it safe to be in here right now?’ 

‘I think this is normal. The pipes had just gotten cold, so they’re clanking more than usual. Let me check the gauges,’ Delia’s voice was steady, but her eyes showed just enough uncertainty to make Patsy profoundly nervous.

She was about to reach out and stop Delia from getting any closer to danger when the door suddenly burst open behind them, scaring her half to death. Patsy whirled around and stepped between Delia and the unidentifiable figure silhouetted in the doorway. 

‘What on _Earth_ is going on? Nurse Mount? What are you doing in here?’

Phyllis. Patsy clenched her jaw, her fear dissipating into dread. They were in so much trouble. 

Phyllis stepped into the room and reached up to turn on the bulb hanging from the ceiling. Both Patsy and Delia squinted as a blinding light illuminated the small space. 

‘Nurse Busby?’ Phyllis looked suspiciously back and forth between them, ‘What are you two doing?’ She seemed to belatedly notice the boiler when it made an ominous clank, ‘And why is the boiler on?’ 

This last question was clearly directed at Delia, whose dust-smeared clothing glaring revealed her as the instigator of activities. 

Delia looked down at the floor as she mumbled a response, ‘Well...we were trying to fix it.’ 

‘You were down here in the dark in the middle of the night trying to fix the boiler?’ Utter disbelief radiated from Phyllis’ entire being. 

Delia fiddled nervously with her hands behind her back as she shuffled from foot to foot, ‘Well, when I was young I would watch my Tad fiddle with our boiler when it broke, and it’s just been so cold for so long and it doesn’t seem as if Fred is going to come by any time soon, what with Mrs Buckle needing his help around the house, and I thought that it wouldn’t hurt to at least take a look at it.’ 

Phyllis shook her head, her brow furrowing in what looked like a combination of bafflement and disapproval, ‘You watched your father fiddle with your home boiler?’ She was quiet for a long moment before her steely gaze fixed on Patsy, freezing her to the spot, ‘And you approved of this venture, Nurse Mount?’ 

Patsy gulped. A part of her wanted to rush to deny this scurrilous accusation, as she’d thought this a wildly foolish endeavour. But she wasn’t about to let Delia take the fall alone. After all, Patsy hadn’t really tried overly hard to dissuade her. And Delia was right, they _shouldn’t_ always have to wait for Fred. She stood tall, consciously pressing her shoulders back. They were surely going to be reprimanded for this, but they were going to be reprimanded _together_. 

‘I did, yes. I trust Delia to not push further than her knowledge deems wise.’

Phyllis narrowed her eyes, looking between the both of them for what seemed like ages before letting out a little huff of air and giving a curt nod. 

‘Well then, I suppose we should get to it. I’d guess the main burner units will have had sufficient time to warm up by now,’ she strode confidently towards the boiler, ‘It’s obviously not an issue with the pilot or ignition.’ 

Patsy’s jaw dropped in shock as a grin of surprised delight spread across Delia’s face. 

‘You mean you’re really going to let me try to fix it?’

‘No, Nurse Busby, I’m going to _help_ you try to fix it. Nurse Mount may trust that you know your limits, but I have found that it is often better if limits are judged by another knowledgeable party. And we _have_ been waiting for Mr Buckle for over a week. I am _well_ overdue for a hot bath.’ 

Delia shot Patsy a beaming smile before scurrying after Phyllis, ‘Yes, well, I was thinking it might be that the condensate pipe has frozen over. It seems to go out the back there,’ she pointed to the pipe that she had tapped earlier. 

‘Mmm...a good theory. Nurse Mount, why don’t you go check the condensate pipe while Nurse Busby and I further examine the boiler.’ 

‘The what?’ Patsy shot to attention again, having fully relaxed against the wall, sure her role for the evening was through. 

‘Umm…’ Delia cut in, ‘I’m not sure Pats really knows what to look for. She wasn’t here because of her expertise. I’ll go and check.’ 

Delia darted out of the room, leaving Phyllis chuckling, ‘It appears you have been relegated to the role of moral support.’ 

Patsy shrugged, ‘For this particular venture, I assure you it’s the role I’m best suited for.’ 

Phyllis gave a non-committal hum before beginning her own thorough investigation of the boiler’s various knobs and gauges. It was fairly endearing, actually, how similar she looked to Delia as she hummed and mumbled to herself throughout her exploration.

‘The pipe was clear!’ Delia darted back into the room, she cheeks flushed from the outside air, ‘It must be something else.’ 

‘Yes, well, I think the pressure is a bit low…’ Phyllis pointed at one of the gauges, which led to a spirited discussion of pressure adjustments and filling loops and where there might be a spanner and soon Delia had darted out again and returned with the appropriate tool. This led, to Patsy’s horror, to Delia lying on the ground, manoeuvring around underneath the boiler fiddling with _something_ or other while Phyllis watched one of the gauges.

Patsy’s heart leapt into her throat when there was a sudden loud hissing and Delia yelled ‘Cach!’ before rocketing her hand out from under the boiler along with a large cloud of steam. 

‘Delia!’ She wasn’t entirely in control of the amount of panic in her voice as she ran forward. 

‘I’m alright, I’m alright,’ Delia shook her arm and pulled up her sleeve, blowing lightly on her forearm, ‘It’s just a little steam,’ she smiled up at Phyllis, ‘Well, I suppose that answers the question of which direction we should turn it.’ 

Phyllis looked as relieved as Patsy felt, ‘Yes, well, let’s be sure to turn it the correct direction next time. We don’t need any serious injuries.’

Delia nodded and, to Patsy’s chagrin, proceeded to dive right back underneath the boiler, keeping up a constant patter that Patsy struggled to fully understand. Eventually, Phyllis announced that the pressure was sufficient, and Delia popped up with an excited, ‘I’ll go and check the radiators and that there’s hot water from the taps,’ before dashing out of the room. 

Phyllis smiled after her, ‘Nurse Busby has quite the range of practical skills, doesn’t she?’ 

Patsy nodded, feeling incredibly proud in that moment to have won the heart of such a competent woman, ‘She’s quite the Renaissance woman. She can drive and nurse and apparently fix appliances, but she also loves reading and even has quite the soft spot for poetry.’ 

Phyllis raised an eyebrow at that, ‘Really? Poetry?’ 

‘Mmmhm.’ 

‘A Renaissance woman indeed,’ Phyllis went back to checking all of the various gauges as Patsy wandered into the hallway to feel the delightful warmth beginning to emanate from the radiator there. 

Soon, Delia came hurrying back, beaming with pride, and bustled into the boiler room, declaring, ‘The radiators are all warming up, and there’s hot water coming from the tap!’ 

‘Excellent. Wonderfully done, Nurse Busby. I’m sure everyone will be delighted to once again have heat.’ 

The mention of other people seemed to catch Delia a bit by surprise, and she stopped her excited bouncing, looking suddenly concerned, ‘Do you think we’ll get in trouble for fixing it? Patsy was saying that it might make Fred have an identity crisis.’ 

Phyllis shook her head, ‘We stayed well within the limits of our abilities. I’m sure Julienne will understand that once I’ve explained it to her,’ she shot Delia a satisfied little smirk, ‘And as for Mr Buckle, perhaps we can hope that our success will encourage a certain amount of soul-searching in regards to promptness.’ 

Both Patsy and Delia snickered at that. 

‘Now, I’m off to man the phones again. Nurse Mount, may I suggest that you check on Nurse Busby’s arm in the prep room,’ Phyllis turned her gaze to Delia, ‘Your excitement may be masking it now, but that was quite the nasty scald, and it could use some tending.’ 

Delia gave a brief nod, cradling her arm as if she’d just remembered it was there, ‘Thank you, Nurse Crane, for allowing me to try.’ 

Phyllis gave her a brief nod accompanied by a warm smile before disappearing down the hallway. 

Patsy and Delia made their way to the prep room, where Patsy switched on the light before turning to gently take Delia’s arm. 

Delia hissed through her teeth and closed her eyes as Patsy lightly pulled back her sleeve to inspect the injury, ‘How bad is it? It still feels like it’s burning.’

‘It’s quite red, but I think you’ve managed to avoid any serious damage.’ 

Delia let out a little sigh of relief before shaking her head, ‘It really is amazing how much steam can scald you. My arm was only there for a second!’ 

‘Yes, well. I’ll refrain from any ‘I told you so’ commentary. I’m just glad you’re alright. And luckily, a very charming young Welshwoman once taught me all about first aid for burns, so you’re in good hands.’ 

That earned a shy smile, ‘Did she now?’

‘Mmhm. She’s really an incredibly multi-faceted woman. An excellent nurse, a wonderful teacher, and she can even repair an appliance in a pinch. Now, let’s make good use of the work you just did to ensure there’d be hot water from the taps again, and run some cool water over this. That should help with the burning feeling.’

They made their way over to the sink, where Patsy held Delia’s hand as she brought her forearm under the water. 

‘Cach! It’s cold!’ 

‘Sorry,’ she adjusted the tap to make it just the slightest bit warmer, ‘I know you really wanted a hot bath, but this really will help it feel better.’ 

Delia gave a little nod as a shiver ran through her. Patsy longed to hold her to keep her warm, but she knew that Phyllis could come at any moment to check on them, so she settled for keeping a gentle grip on her hand, rubbing her thumb across Delia’s knuckles. 

They stood quietly for several moments before Delia spoke, her eyes fixed on the hand Patsy was holding, ‘Thank you for saying that you trust me. Back there, in the boiler room. I don’t think Phyllis would have let me try if you hadn’t.’ 

‘I do trust you. I just wanted you to be safe.’ 

Delia nodded, ‘I know.’ 

They were silent for a few moments before Patsy decided to broach what had happened before the boiler’s rather abrupt interruption, ‘Deels, you know I never stay away from your room because I _want_ to?’

Delia let out a weary sigh, staring at the running water for a moment before responding, ‘I know that Pats...I just...I want to be with you all the time, and there are so few nights when Trixie is out, and to have you still not be able to come...well.’ She paused and gave a little shrug, ‘I can’t control the things you need to do to keep us safe, and I can’t control that we can’t let our friends know about us, but I just felt like maybe I could control the boiler working. To make the hallway warm enough so you can leave at a time that feels safe. To make you feel comfortable coming to me again.’ 

Patsy’s heart clenched, seeing Delia so downtrodden, knowing she had felt so powerless, ‘Oh Deels, why didn’t you tell me? If I’d known you were feeling so strongly—’ 

Delia shook her head, cutting Patsy off, ‘It was so scary when Barbara almost caught you. I couldn’t put you...put _us_ in that position again,’ she took a deep breath and shook her head, her jaw clenching, ‘It’s just so... _frustrating_.’

Patsy hummed her agreement as she observed the tension radiating through Delia’s frame. It seemed more intense than usual, and Patsy had a thought as to why. But for now, she shut off the water and examined Delia’s arm carefully. 

‘I don’t think we’ll need any of that new-fangled Flamazine, but do I think we should wrap it, to protect the skin from irritation.’ She grabbed some bandages from a drawer before going to join Delia at the prep room table. She began gently wrapping Delia’s arm, ensuring that she didn’t seem to be in too much discomfort before deciding to wade in a bit deeper. 

‘I know our...situation...is always frustrating, but something about this seems different.’ 

Delia’s posture shifted towards defensiveness, ‘What do you mean?’ 

‘I don’t want to feel as if I’m in a cage? Trixie gave me an almost word-for-word breakdown of the final scene of _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_. I know it’s from the film. And you seem more bothered by, well, _everything_ , than usual. Was there something about the film that upset you?’ 

Delia stared at her defiantly for a moment before suddenly deflating, giving a small shrug ‘I suppose, maybe. I think the film just made me more...impatient. Holly is so free, but also so wild, and I don’t want to be like that, but it was hard, I suppose, to watch someone break all the rules and still have it be so easy for them in the end.’ 

‘Trixie didn’t make it sound as if it was easy.’ 

Delia made a dismissive noise, ‘Well, they made it dramatic, but Holly finally chooses to love Paul, and that’s it, they get their happy ending. They kiss right out in the street in front of everyone. And Trixie kept going on and on about how romantic it was that Holly chose love over security and just...I hate that I can make that same choice and it’s viewed as unnatural. That we have to spend our lives hiding it. And I love films, but I’m so... _tired_. Tired of watching all of these romances where they pretend it’s difficult for them, but really, it’s so _easy_. They all get to show their love so openly and I love you so much and I just...I hate that I’m not allowed to see myself in those stories. That I’m not allowed to see _us_ ,’ she seemed to deflate slightly as her voice dropped to a mumble, ‘I hate that I can’t kiss you in the street.’ 

Patsy furrowed her brow, confused that that would be the thing Delia would latch on to, ‘It’s not as if anyone respectable can be kissing in the street willy-nilly, Deels.’

The flash of anger and frustration in Delia’s eyes made immediately clear that that had been the wrong thing to say. 

‘I mean as a romantic gesture, Pats! She’s afraid that he’s left her for good, that they’re going to lose each other, and they get swept up in the moment. I want the freedom to get swept up in moments too!’ 

Patsy was overwhelmed by how painfully her heart clenched at the very thought of losing Delia again, ‘If I was afraid you were going to leave me, that I was going to lose you, I would kiss you in the street.’ 

Delia made a disbelieving noise as she shook her head, looking down at the floor, ‘We both know you could never do that.’ 

Patsy reached forward and, ignoring the streak of grease across her nose, cupped Delia’s face with her hand, bringing the brunette’s eyes up to meet hers, ‘I nearly lost you once before, and it was almost unbearable. If I ever looked into your eyes and saw even a hint of doubt as to how much I love you, I wouldn’t even hesitate.’ 

Delia’s eyes searched Patsy’s face for a long moment. Her voice, when it came was so soft she could barely hear it, ‘Really?’ 

‘Really,’ Patsy’s heart picked up its pace as she watched a soft, shy smile spread across Delia’s face. 

Delia brought her hand up tentatively to Patsy’s face, stroking her cheek gently with her thumb before returning her hand to her side and lightly shaking her head, the smile never waning, ‘You can be quite romantic when you want to be can’t you, Patience Mount?’

Patsy smiled back and looked down to focus on taping off the bandage, happy that the wrapping seemed secure but comfortable. She was glad that Delia seemed to be feeling better, but she could tell that something wasn’t quite right. She hated that Delia had pulled her hand away so quickly. That there still seemed to be an underlying frustration in those eyes she knew so well. A frustration that had drawn her out of bed and into a boiler room on a frigid December night. A frustration that Patsy longed to ease. 

She cleared her throat, ‘Deels, I know I go on and on about what we _do_ being more important than grand shows of sentiment. And I know that makes it hard when...well...I get reticent to _show_ you all the ways that I love you. It's only...I so desperately want us to be safe. I don’t want us to lose what we have; our home, our friends, our jobs,’ she saw Delia almost sink into herself, the smile fading, and she rushed to recover, cursing herself for never quite knowing how to say things in the way she wanted. 

Patsy reached out and gently took Delia’s face in her hand again, looking deeply into the blue eyes of the woman she loved so dearly, ‘But that doesn’t mean I can’t work on being a little more relaxed. You deserve a love that you can celebrate every day, even if it can’t be out in the open. And while I can’t fall asleep in your arms every night like I want to, I can work on being careful without being driven by my fear,’ she leaned in closer her eyes darting to check the door for the briefest second, ‘On being watchful while remembering that we’re not always being watched.’ 

Patsy brought her nose to lightly nuzzle against Delia’s, taking great satisfaction in the accompanying hitch in Delia’s breath. She allowed the tension to hold for one brief moment before pulling Delia in for a kiss, deep and slow. As the kiss deepened, she drew Delia in by her hip, holding her close until she could feel the tension ease from Delia’s body, until the brunette’s hand made its way to the back of her head, gripping her hair. Until they were both lost in the kiss completely. 

When they finally broke apart, Delia gave a satisfied sigh as she kept their foreheads pressed together, her hand playing tenderly with the hairs at the nape of Patsy’s neck. Pulling away slightly, Patsy was delighted to see a gentle, contented smile spread across Delia’s face. The brunette let out a deep breath, her frustration alleviated for the moment. When she opened her eyes, they were filled with warmth and just the slightest hint of mischief, ‘Mmm...I think you’ll find that you owe me four more of those.’

Patsy felt a matching grin spread across her face as she stroked Delia’s cheek with her thumb, ‘Oh really?’ 

Delia nodded, ‘The boiler is fixed, and I believe we had a wager.’ 

Patsy leaned back, raising an eyebrow in mock-scepticism, ‘Technically, you said you would fix it on your own. I would argue that Nurse Crane gave you significant assistance.’ 

‘Are you trying to find loopholes?’ 

Patsy made her way back to the counter and placing the unused bandage back in its storage drawer, ‘Also, you said you wouldn’t get hurt.’

Delia followed her, playfully backing Patsy up against the counter, ‘Patience Mount, are you trying to get out of kissing me?’

A flush spread up Patsy’s neck, ‘No. I’m simply saying –’ 

Delia shook her head, cutting Patsy off as she gently placed her hands on the taller woman’s shoulders, ‘Don’t try to wiggle your way out of it, Pats. Trixie is still out for the rest of the night, and I won five kisses fair and square,’ her voice dropped as she stood on tiptoe to whisper into Patsy’s ear, her tone so sultry it made Patsy’s knees go weak, ‘though I don’t intend to let you stop with just the kisses.’ She stepped back, her eyes alight with love and a scandalous undercurrent that made Patsy blush. She turned and walked to the door, pausing at the threshold to look back, ‘Come on Pats, you don’t want to get a reputation as someone who won’t pay up when they’re beaten, do you?’ 

Patsy took a moment to collect herself before smirking and following Delia out of the room. Patience Mount always followed through on a lost wager.

**Author's Note:**

> The next author to be adding a square to our metaphorical quilt will be NowSeeHere!
> 
> Pupcake writers (or aspiring pupcake writers!) are still welcome to join this little project by e-mailing echo7fic [at] gmail.com.
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe and well out there!
> 
> PS - Never fear, I haven't forgotten Luckiest Girl and the next chapter should be here shortly


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